why don't parent's listen ?

[MickeySP]

Just wrap all the kids in bubble wrap with individual classrooms with teachers who are masked / problem solved.

 

[Gracie09]

Well the whole classroom is nut free. Some people are so allergic that if nuts are eaten at the table, they will react. That was my brother. His care providers provided the same solution as you because it was such a HUGE ORDEAL to not offer peanut butter. Then when they had to take a toddler to the ER by ambulance, they quickly changed policy. I'm sure the severity of the rules has to do with the severity of that child's allergy.

That was not the case here. The classroom was peanut free and a parent missed the message. Instead of addressing it with the parent in question setting a blanket policy that opens to door to more liability is crazy. Take my dds class this year, it would have to be gluten free, peanut and cashew free, red dye free organic and not processed. That leaves fruit assuming no one is allergic to berries or melon etc. but that's expensive. Forget goldfish, animal crackers. Cheese - forgot the dairy kid. That's out.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

...now the kids need to be wiped down in case they have peanut butter particles on them?
I'm all for keeping these kids with allergies safe (I have a shellfish allergy myself) but it seems over the top.

I'm sure the severity of the policy has to do with the severity of certain kid's allergies. As someone with a food allergy, you should know that they run on a spectrum. My brother went into anaphylaxis due to touching a table where kids had eaten peanut butter that he didn't eat.

Multiple people have tied from touching tables with peanut oils. My brother cannot even go to Rafferty's or Chick Fil A because of the peanut oils. Some kids with peanut allergies can go play at chick fil a and just eat grilled nuggets, some will die eating at Chick Fil A even if it's grilled nuggets.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

That's absolutely the case. You said the snack should have been fine b/c at kindergarten age the kid should know better than to eat the peanut butter crackers. YES the child knows better, but if the other kid eats the crackers at the table, it could still kill the allergic child. I'm sure the strictness of the no peanuts in the classroom relates to the severity of that child's allergy.

 

[Gracie09]

That's absolutely the case. You said the snack should have been fine b/c at kindergarten age the kid should know better than to eat the peanut butter crackers. YES the child knows better, but if the other kid eats the crackers at the table, it could still kill the allergic child. I'm sure the strictness of the no peanuts in the classroom relates to the severity of that child's allergy.

This was a case where in the first week of school a parent made a mistake or missed a memo. I didn't say the nut free policy was an overreaction I said the teacher overreacted and over reached imo in saying she would provide all snacks. If the child's allergy was as severe as you are assuming (and there is no evidence of that) a note should have been sent to the house prior to school. An email should have been sent to the parents prior to school. A phone call to the parents . A brief announcement at an open house where all the parents may not attend is not the way to deal with a child whose allergy is so severe that sitting at a table with another child eating peanut butter is life threatening

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Also, I think they should just provide back up snacks that are allergen safe. If you don't want your kids eating the back up animal crackers, then follow the instructions and don't pack peanut butter. If you forgot one day, you likely had enough other stuff going on that you don't mind if your kid ate animal crackers for one snack.

Parents can still provide the snacks and the teacher and assistant can just go through and check the snacks for safety.

 

[Gracie09]

Also, I think they should just provide back up snacks that are allergen safe. If you don't want your kids eating the back up animal crackers, then follow the instructions and don't pack peanut butter. If you forgot one day, you likely had enough other stuff going on that you don't mind if your kid ate animal crackers for one snack.

Parents can still provide the snacks and the teacher and assistant can just go through and check the snacks for safety.

Not if my kid is allergic to gluten. That's not okay. Are the animal cracker red dye free? What about dairy free?

Or the child with the allergy can be taught if he sees peanuts or peanut butter to get up and go to the teacher and tell her. Also the other kids usually know what's going on. My dds drill me when I buy snacks for them for school. Does it have peanuts? Is it gluten free? One refused to take granola bars until I showed her the peanut free symbal and she was five at the time

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Not if my kid is allergic to gluten. That's not okay. Are the animal cracker red dye free? What about dairy free?

Are you serious?! Of course the teacher would pick a back up snack that is appropriate for ALL children in the classroom.... She's already taken on the task of providing them for everyone.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

It could be like my dds classroom. One peanut allergy, one cashew allergy, one gluten allergy (a contact allergy at that), one dairy allergy and two red dye issues. Add in organic, no processed diets etc etc etc.

And that is the problem. If you start banning foods from a school due to a few student allergies (even if those allergies are life threatening) you leave very little for the rest of the students to eat. I have worked at 3 different school. All schools had students with peanut or egg or nut or wheat or....the list goes on...allergies. No food groups were banned from our school - ever! We had peanut free tables at lunch. Any child who ate peanut butter had to wash their hands before returning to class. If a peanut snack was eaten by a student in class, the student's desk was wiped down with a Clorox wipe, and the student had to wash hands. I think all these actions are reasonable. I do not think banning peanut butter from an entire classroom, lunch room or school is reasonable.

 

[NewRVLady]

Just wrap all the kids in bubble wrap with individual classrooms with teachers who are masked / problem solved.

I know you are trying to be funny-

My DIL was unbelievably careful during her pregnancy- didn't eat SO MANY FOODS- and So careful of the solid foods slowly introduced to baby

We were all shocked of this allergy- EGGS!
We found out Right before his first birthday- so found a vegan cupcake for him to " blow out" his candle
I actually chuckled to myself- never thought I would be searching for something vegan in my lifetime

 

[Ceila]

I teach, I have many friends who are teachers, and I have kids. I'm shocked that the teacher is going to take it upon herself to provide snacks for every child every day. If anything, I could see the school might agree to provide snacks, not the classroom teacher. Even then it seems highly unusual to jump right to "we'll provide everything" instead of making an attempt to re-educate the parents. Something seems off here.

 

[Gracie09]

Are you serious?! Of course the teacher would pick a back up snack that is appropriate for ALL children in the classroom.... She's already taken on the task of providing them for everyone.

The teacher has taken on a responsibility that is not hers to take on. She has opened the school up to liability. She has provided a false sense of security to parents. If a child has a reaction to something she provided - whether or not the allergy was known or not- she and the school can find themselves in legal hot water. She needs to stick with the school's policy and send a note home and maybe follow with a phone call. The amt of overreaction is incredible. Tens of thousand of schools deal with peanut allergies every day. They don't resort to teacher provides snacks.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I teach, I have many friends who are teachers, and I have kids. I'm shocked that the teacher is going to take it upon herself to provide snacks for every child every day. If anything, I could see the school might agree to provide snacks, not the classroom teacher. Even then it seems highly unusual to jump right to "we'll provide everything" instead of making an attempt to re-educate the parents. Something seems off here.

I would think this plan could get the teacher in hot water if she made a mistake.

IMO the type of teacher that immediately goes to "I'll provide everything" is probably a bit of a martyr type and will like let people know how she "just had to do this" because the parents just couldn't be bothered to listen.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

The teacher has taken on a responsibility that is not hers to take on. She has opened the school up to liability. She has provided a false sense of security to parents. If a child has a reaction to something she provided - whether or not the allergy was known or not- she and the school can find themselves in legal hot water. She needs to stick with the school's policy and send a note home and maybe follow with a phone call. The amt of overreaction is incredible. Tens of thousand of schools deal with peanut allergies every day. They don't resort to teacher provides snacks.

Well, I did agree that the teacher provided snack for everyone everyday was overkill. I mentioned that the teacher should provide a back up snack, however, so that parents wouldn't have to worry so much. No kindergartener should have to go without a snack because Mom had a huge briefing that morning and forgot to pack the cheese crackers instead of peanut butter crackers.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

And that is the problem. If you start banning foods from a school due to a few student allergies (even if those allergies are life threatening) you leave very little for the rest of the students to eat. I have worked at 3 different school. All schools had students with peanut or egg or nut or wheat or....the list goes on...allergies. No food groups were banned from our school - ever! We had peanut free tables at lunch. Any child who ate peanut butter had to wash their hands before returning to class. If a peanut snack was eaten by a student in class, the student's desk was wiped down with a Clorox wipe, and the student had to wash hands. I think all these actions are reasonable. I do not think banning peanut butter from an entire classroom, lunch room or school is reasonable.

I agree with you for older kids, but remember this is a kindergarten with young children who likely sit at tables as that is understood to be the most developmentally appropriate.

ETA: A cafeteria solves this problem. I'm not at all a fan of classroom snacks. I think they waste time and open the door to all these problems. Give the kids breakfast in the cafeteria and a reasonable lunch time.

 

[Gracie09]

Well, I did agree that the teacher provided snack for everyone everyday was overkill. I mentioned that the teacher should provide a back up snack, however, so that parents wouldn't have to worry so much. No kindergartener should have to go without a snack because Mom had a huge briefing that morning and forgot to pack the cheese crackers instead of peanut butter crackers.

No they shouldn't and my volunteer group provides the school nurse with severa selections of snack foods (peanut free, some gluten free, some dye free) and bottles of water for days a kids forgets his snack or lunch. The nurse keeps them because she has access to medical records and knows the kids who have allergies.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I agree with you for older kids, but remember this is a kindergarten with young children who likely sit at tables as that is understood to be the most developmentally appropriate.

ETA: A cafeteria solves this problem. I'm not at all a fan of classroom snacks. I think they waste time and open the door to all these problems. Give the kids breakfast in the cafeteria and a reasonable lunch time.

All 3 of the schools I worked in were K-8...none banned peanut butter.

 

[BearFamily]

The teacher has taken on a responsibility that is not hers to take on. She has opened the school up to liability. She has provided a false sense of security to parents. If a child has a reaction to something she provided - whether or not the allergy was known or not- she and the school can find themselves in legal hot water. She needs to stick with the school's policy and send a note home and maybe follow with a phone call. The amt of overreaction is incredible. Tens of thousand of schools deal with peanut allergies every day. They don't resort to teacher provides snacks.

Yes to the bolded! This is how I feel personally about "peanut free schools" as well. Peanut free table - maybe, if there is an adult supervising who knows what they are doing. But a whole school? I'd bet money there is peanut protein there. Heck, my daughter went to a "peanut free daycare". Yep, the food they fed them was peanut free. Possibly the staff kept their lunches and personal snacks peanut free, although I doubt it. But more than once when she was 2, someone sent in a treat bag for each kid for Valentines, or a birthday or something, and it had Snickers or some other peanut candy in it. The staff was great about not letting kids touch the bags and giving them directly to parents, but still. A mini Reece's peanut butter cup came home on Halloween from a parent at her "peanut free site". I have way more faith in the situation at her current school, where her teachers are aware and vigilant for the sake of all of the kids with allergies rather than trying to enforce an improbable ban.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

No they shouldn't and my volunteer group provides the school nurse with severa selections of snack foods (peanut free, some gluten free, some dye free) and bottles of water for days a kids forgets his snack or lunch. The nurse keeps them because she has access to medical records and knows the kids who have allergies.

So basically that's the same solution that I posted and you argued with except it comes from the nurse instead of the teacher? You're coming off very argumentative, and we agree about 85%. It's kinda weird.

 

[Gracie09]

So basically that's the same solution that I posted and you argued with except it comes from the nurse instead of the teacher? You're coming off very argumentative, and we agree about 85%. It's kinda weird.

It's an organized program through the school district. They check the snacks they decide who gets what. It's not a random teacher with no oversight opening the school district up to liability. The ingrediant lists are sent home so parents know what is in the snacks and can ask questions if need be.